Kentucky Owl's story reads like bourbon folklore. The original distillery was founded by C.M. Dedman in the 1870s, and when Prohibition arrived, federal agents seized the family's entire stock — some 250,000 gallons — which then mysteriously disappeared from the government warehouse. Confiscated is Dixon Dedman's tribute to those lost barrels, released after he revived the Kentucky Owl name in 2014.
Bottled at 96.4 proof, this is the entry point to the modern Kentucky Owl range — a blend of aged Kentucky bourbons hand-selected by Dixon, who earned the nickname 'The Wise Man' for his blending obsession. Where the numbered batches flaunt cask strength swagger, Confiscated leans into approachability without sacrificing character.
The nose opens with butterscotch sweetness and that unmistakable old-library leather, softened by orchard fruit and a curl of cedar. The palate is where Dixon's blending touch shows — silky texture, caramel apple, bright orange peel, toasted pecan, all wrapped in gentle clove and cinnamon. A mint note threads through, keeping things lively rather than sticky-sweet.
The finish is long and oak-driven, with dark honey warmth and cinnamon bark lingering well past the swallow. It's everything you want from a premium Kentucky blend without the cask-strength bruising.
Stoli Group acquired Kentucky Owl in 2017, but Dixon stayed on as Master Blender, ensuring the soul of the brand — that reverence for his great-great-grandfather's confiscated ghosts — remains intact in every bottle.
